On the Different Forms of Acquiring Knowledge. 165 



ing. It not only learns to imitate certain sounds and 

 written symbols mechanically and to combine them ac- 

 cording to constant and definite rules, but it learns to 

 understand the meaning of these phonetic and graphic 

 symbols. Hence, after a certain time, it is able to ex- 

 press its own thoughts by pen or word of mouth in its 

 own way. Even the child of the most uncultured sav- 

 age possesses the power of learning new truths by 

 instruction. It learns how to understand them more 

 and more. This fact is fully established by the history 

 of civilization, and especially by the missionary an- 

 nals of modern times. Therefore the only point 

 at issue is, whether or not animals are likewise 

 endowed with a similar power. Properly speaking, the 

 question has already been answered, when we discussed 

 the third form of self-dependent learning; animals are 

 unable to infer new conditions of things from those 

 which formerly existed; therefore, they are likewise 

 unable to learn by instruction. For its necessary suppo- 

 sition, individual intelligence, is wanting in the psychic 

 endowment of the animal. 



Still, let us adduce some examples which are to the 

 point. In spite of its long course of training Lubbock's 

 poodle Van often brought the wrong card, when it was 

 hungry, instead of the card with the word "food" writ- 

 ten on it. This fact shows that it never understood the 

 relation between the graphic symbols and their meaning. 

 Nor did it occur to Van to give "reading lessons" to 

 Patience, the lap-dog. Nor did Patience hit upon the 

 idea of profiting by Van's experience, although she had 

 often witnessed the reward which Van received for 

 fetching the proper card. The reason is, because 



